Career contemplation: career advice wanted

[collegefootball]

As I’m contemplating my career options as I apply to graduate schools, I would like to know what others would advice for what my career interests are.

I love the field of medical genetics, but I’m not enthusiastic of wanting to go through medical school and go into major debt to make a low salary as a clinical geneticist. Thus, I have been researching my other options.

I will be applying for a masters in medical genetics. So I will be working as an allied health care professional in a clinic. I would like to teach a human genetics course in graduate school or undergraduate school. So my hope is that I can become an adjunct with a local university teaching one human genetics course. I would also like to make a contract as an adjunct teaching a human genetics course online so I can reach out to more people.

But I want more career options.

So I’m thinking about getting a certificate in disability ethics or a law degree (online through NYU) in disability ethics to go with my masters in medical genetics. Do you think I would be able to work with lawyers in making new policies for people who have disabilities?

I would also like to get a masters in bioethics. I want to get a masters in bioethics because I would like to either teach a bioethics course or be a member of an ethics committee at the clinic I would work for.

I would also like to get a PhD in Health education because I would love to travel around the country giving talks about health care issues and health topics. Thus, I would want to give talks about some gene mutation that leads to a disorder and how clinical treatment is affected by the gene mutation.

In general, I would work as a genetic counselor, work with lawyers on disability laws, be on an ethics committee, and travel giving talks on health care topics. Is this to much to handle?

I would like your input as to what your thoughts would be.

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[Cranial Gavage]

Advice anyone?

 

[Law2Doc]

As I'm contemplating my career options as I apply to graduate schools, I would like to know what others would advice for what my career interests are.

I love the field of medical genetics, but I'm not enthusiastic of wanting to go through medical school and go into major debt to make a low salary as a clinical geneticist. Thus, I have been researching my other options.

I will be applying for a masters in medical genetics. So I will be working as an allied health care professional in a clinic. I would like to teach a human genetics course in graduate school or undergraduate school. So my hope is that I can become an adjunct with a local university teaching one human genetics course. I would also like to make a contract as an adjunct teaching a human genetics course online so I can reach out to more people.

But I want more career options.

So I'm thinking about getting a certificate in disability ethics or a law degree (online through NYU) in disability ethics to go with my masters in medical genetics. Do you think I would be able to work with lawyers in making new policies for people who have disabilities?

I would also like to get a masters in bioethics. I want to get a masters in bioethics because I would like to either teach a bioethics course or be a member of an ethics committee at the clinic I would work for.

I would also like to get a PhD in Health education because I would love to travel around the country giving talks about health care issues and health topics. Thus, I would want to give talks about some gene mutation that leads to a disorder and how clinical treatment is affected by the gene mutation.

In general, I would work as a genetic counselor, work with lawyers on disability laws, be on an ethics committee, and travel giving talks on health care topics. Is this to much to handle?

I would like your input as to what your thoughts would be.

Since none of your options involve applying to medical school, you have picked the a board not well suited toward advice. You can probably find a way to combine either of the masters with the law degree in some joint program. I personally would avoid online law degrees because most of what you learn of value in law school is obtained through class interaction. This is not a "just pass the tests" form of education -- the goal is to learn how to "think like a lawyer" which requires socratic method class participation, significant in class debate, and interaction with your peers, as well as issue spotting on essay tests. None of this is well suited for online, and so you shortchange yourself by doing so even if good schools are offering such options these days. I also don't know how potential employers regard online education these days, but know for a certainty that just a few years ago your resume would have been tossed by the place I was at.
With the law degree and masters, you want to sit for the bar and get a job using those two degrees, probably in government or academics. After working, if you feel you still need it, consider obtaining the other masters or the PhD at nights while employed -- your employer is likely to pay for it. Good luck.

 

[Gut Shot]

I would like your input as to what your thoughts would be.

It sounds like you've go the curse of the over-eager... you're overthinking the mental cart in front of the virtual horse.

Applying for a Master's in medical genetics is likely a good move for you. If I were you, I would put my head down, work hard, and get about a year into it before taking stock of my situation. When you've got some meaningful education and exposure under your belt you will be prepared to make a much more informed decision about your future. In my experience, after taking the first few steps, the rest of the path often declares itself.